Steam is getting an official controller, but Valve isn’t making it


Nearly five years after Valve discontinued its experimental Steam Controller, a new officially licensed gamepad for Steam is on the way. The new controller is made by Hori, and it’s only coming to Japan (at least for now).
Dubbed the Wireless Horipad for Steam, the PC-centric controller matches the Steam Deck’s menu buttons and has similar touch sensors atop its sticks to activate gyro controls. It also supports Bluetooth wireless and USB-C wired connections as well as a whole bunch of custom programmability using Hori’s software. But while it shares a lot with the Steam Deck, it’s not a Steam Controller 2 — it lacks rumble, a matching set of four back buttons, and the handheld’s signature trackpads.
The new controller is set to launch in Japan on October 31st in four colors (black, white, neon yellow, and violet), selling for 7,890 yen (about $50).
However, the Wireless Horipad seems to have a whole lot more going on. For starters, it’s actually wireless, albeit limited to Bluetooth, which is usually less reliable than a USB wireless dongle. The Steam version also has four programmable buttons, although, unlike the Steam Deck, there are only two on the rear — the other two are on the front directly below the D-pad and on the right thumbstick.
It certainly looks familiar if you squint
While it seems long overdue for Valve to once again have a branded go-to gamepad for Steam and docked Steam Deck use, we’ll have to wait to see if or when it becomes more widely available. Hori’s decision to start sales in its home country makes sense, but it may also speak to the rise of PC gaming in Japan, with handhelds being such a popular choice there that Valve spun up a partnership with an entirely different company for Steam Deck distribution (including in-store availability).
In general, gamepad usage in Steam is on the rise — as Valve’s just-released statistics show. Those numbers also come with a summary of new controller optimizations Valve has recently implemented in Steam. Perhaps this is setting the table for a wide swath of licensed Steam controllers from a variety of manufacturers like we see on Xbox consoles — with more wireless options, I hope. One thing I know is I’m now dying to try this Wireless Horipad.
Nearly five years after Valve discontinued its experimental Steam Controller, a new officially licensed gamepad for Steam is on the way. The new controller is made by Hori, and it’s only coming to Japan (at least for now). Dubbed the Wireless Horipad for Steam, the PC-centric controller matches the Steam…
Recent Posts
- One of the best AI video generators is now on the iPhone – here’s what you need to know about Pika’s new app
- Apple’s C1 chip could be a big deal for iPhones – here’s why
- Rabbit shows off the AI agent it should have launched with
- Instagram wants you to do more with DMs than just slide into someone else’s
- Nvidia is launching ‘priority access’ to help fans buy RTX 5080 and 5090 FE GPUs
Archives
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- September 2018
- October 2017
- December 2011
- August 2010